“Equity math” coming to FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

Just to qualify for 6th grade math in 5th grade? That seems like a lot. I don't remember the requirements being that high a couple of years back.

No, those requirements are to skip Advanced Math in 6th grade and take Algebra 1 honors in 6th grade. Essentially, skipping pre-algebra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

Just to qualify for 6th grade math in 5th grade? That seems like a lot. I don't remember the requirements being that high a couple of years back.

This is to skip 6th grade math completely and take AAP 6th grade math, which is actually 7th grade math, in 5th grade. The requirements have definitely been that high for many years. That's why only 30 or so kids in all of FCPS end up taking Algebra in 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

Just to qualify for 6th grade math in 5th grade? That seems like a lot. I don't remember the requirements being that high a couple of years back.

No, those requirements are to skip Advanced Math in 6th grade and take Algebra 1 honors in 6th grade. Essentially, skipping pre-algebra.

That is incorrect. They aren't skipping pre-algebra. They're skipping AAP 5th grade math and moving directly into pre-algebra/AAP 6th grade math/FCPS 7th grade math when in 5th grade. Kids on this path take AAP 3rd grade math with 3rd grade SOL in 3rd, AAP 4th grade math with 4th grade SOL in 4th, AAP 6th grade math with 7th grade SOL in 5th, and then Algebra I in 6th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

One of my kids had all of that and then some but because we were at less affluent school it wasn't an option for them.

It isn't an affluent school vs. non-affluent school thing. Every principal can decide whether they want to allow kids to skip 5th grade AAP math if they meet the benchmarks. If your kid meets all of the criteria, but your principal doesn't allow kids to accelerate, then you're out of luck. At some affluent schools, the principals won't allow acceleration. At some middle of the road SES schools (like Mosaic), the principal will.

I know it isn't per se but the reality is these opportunities only exist at the UMC schools.

Mosaic is not an UMC school, but usually lets 5+ kids per year take this path. Several of the AAP feeder schools are even Title I.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

One of my kids had all of that and then some but because we were at less affluent school it wasn't an option for them.

It isn't an affluent school vs. non-affluent school thing. Every principal can decide whether they want to allow kids to skip 5th grade AAP math if they meet the benchmarks. If your kid meets all of the criteria, but your principal doesn't allow kids to accelerate, then you're out of luck. At some affluent schools, the principals won't allow acceleration. At some middle of the road SES schools (like Mosaic), the principal will.

I know it isn't per se but the reality is these opportunities only exist at the UMC schools.

Mosaic is not an UMC school, but usually lets 5+ kids per year take this path. Several of the AAP feeder schools are even Title I.

Yes, there are one or two rare exceptions but 90%+ this is only done at the most wealthy schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

One of my kids had all of that and then some but because we were at less affluent school it wasn't an option for them.

It isn't an affluent school vs. non-affluent school thing. Every principal can decide whether they want to allow kids to skip 5th grade AAP math if they meet the benchmarks. If your kid meets all of the criteria, but your principal doesn't allow kids to accelerate, then you're out of luck. At some affluent schools, the principals won't allow acceleration. At some middle of the road SES schools (like Mosaic), the principal will.

I know it isn't per se but the reality is these opportunities only exist at the UMC schools.

Mosaic is not an UMC school, but usually lets 5+ kids per year take this path. Several of the AAP feeder schools are even Title I.

Maybe 40 years ago things were different but Mosaic seems pretty fancy these days. People don't even call it Merrifield now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

One of my kids had all of that and then some but because we were at less affluent school it wasn't an option for them.

It isn't an affluent school vs. non-affluent school thing. Every principal can decide whether they want to allow kids to skip 5th grade AAP math if they meet the benchmarks. If your kid meets all of the criteria, but your principal doesn't allow kids to accelerate, then you're out of luck. At some affluent schools, the principals won't allow acceleration. At some middle of the road SES schools (like Mosaic), the principal will.

I know it isn't per se but the reality is these opportunities only exist at the UMC schools.

Mosaic is not an UMC school, but usually lets 5+ kids per year take this path. Several of the AAP feeder schools are even Title I.

Maybe 40 years ago things were different but Mosaic seems pretty fancy these days. People don't even call it Merrifield now.

??? Mosaic used to be Mosby Woods. It’s right at the edge of Fairfax city, and has around 30% FARMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

One of my kids had all of that and then some but because we were at less affluent school it wasn't an option for them.

It isn't an affluent school vs. non-affluent school thing. Every principal can decide whether they want to allow kids to skip 5th grade AAP math if they meet the benchmarks. If your kid meets all of the criteria, but your principal doesn't allow kids to accelerate, then you're out of luck. At some affluent schools, the principals won't allow acceleration. At some middle of the road SES schools (like Mosaic), the principal will.

I know it isn't per se but the reality is these opportunities only exist at the UMC schools.

Mosaic is not an UMC school, but usually lets 5+ kids per year take this path. Several of the AAP feeder schools are even Title I.

Maybe 40 years ago things were different but Mosaic seems pretty fancy these days. People don't even call it Merrifield now.

Do you even have kids in FCPS??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

One of my kids had all of that and then some but because we were at less affluent school it wasn't an option for them.

It isn't an affluent school vs. non-affluent school thing. Every principal can decide whether they want to allow kids to skip 5th grade AAP math if they meet the benchmarks. If your kid meets all of the criteria, but your principal doesn't allow kids to accelerate, then you're out of luck. At some affluent schools, the principals won't allow acceleration. At some middle of the road SES schools (like Mosaic), the principal will.

I know it isn't per se but the reality is these opportunities only exist at the UMC schools.

Mosaic is not an UMC school, but usually lets 5+ kids per year take this path. Several of the AAP feeder schools are even Title I.

Maybe 40 years ago things were different but Mosaic seems pretty fancy these days. People don't even call it Merrifield now.

Do you even have kids in FCPS??

Yes, we live in the Mosaic district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a fascinating article from The Atlantic on California’s experiment with “equity math”

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/california-math-framework-algebra/675509/

One idea is to banish Algebra from middle school, and only allow it in high school:


At the time, news reports highlighted features of the CMF that struck me as dubious. That draft explicitly promoted the San Francisco Unified School District’s policy of banishing Algebra I from middle school—a policy grounded in the belief that teaching the subject only in high school would give all students the same opportunities for future success. The document also made a broad presumption that tweaking the content and timing of the math curriculum, rather than more effective teaching of the existing one, was the best way to fix achievement gaps among demographic groups. Unfortunately, the sheer size of the sprawling document discouraged serious public scrutiny.

More at link.

Does this sound like a program Dr. Reid would implement here?

Yes, I think this will happen for FCPS shortly since the education elite have finally realized that no amount of effort or money will close the gap from the bottom. The only way to do this is to sabotage those at the top by eliminating opportunities and enrichment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a fascinating article from The Atlantic on California’s experiment with “equity math”

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/california-math-framework-algebra/675509/

One idea is to banish Algebra from middle school, and only allow it in high school:


At the time, news reports highlighted features of the CMF that struck me as dubious. That draft explicitly promoted the San Francisco Unified School District’s policy of banishing Algebra I from middle school—a policy grounded in the belief that teaching the subject only in high school would give all students the same opportunities for future success. The document also made a broad presumption that tweaking the content and timing of the math curriculum, rather than more effective teaching of the existing one, was the best way to fix achievement gaps among demographic groups. Unfortunately, the sheer size of the sprawling document discouraged serious public scrutiny.

More at link.

Does this sound like a program Dr. Reid would implement here?

Yes, I think this will happen for FCPS shortly since the education elite have finally realized that no amount of effort or money will close the gap from the bottom. The only way to do this is to sabotage those at the top by eliminating opportunities and enrichment.

I went to middle school and high school in a poor Appalachian area in the 90s and algebra was offered in my middle school. If we could do it, with zero enrichment opportunities and most kids growing up in generational poverty, there's no reason any school shouldn't offer it in the name of equity. It's insulting to tell kids they aren't smart enough to even try

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

One of my kids had all of that and then some but because we were at less affluent school it wasn't an option for them.

It isn't an affluent school vs. non-affluent school thing. Every principal can decide whether they want to allow kids to skip 5th grade AAP math if they meet the benchmarks. If your kid meets all of the criteria, but your principal doesn't allow kids to accelerate, then you're out of luck. At some affluent schools, the principals won't allow acceleration. At some middle of the road SES schools (like Mosaic), the principal will.

I know it isn't per se but the reality is these opportunities only exist at the UMC schools.

Mosaic is not an UMC school, but usually lets 5+ kids per year take this path. Several of the AAP feeder schools are even Title I.

Yes, there are one or two rare exceptions but 90%+ this is only done at the most wealthy schools.

Your math is off. If only 31 kids generally get to take Algebra I in 6th grade, and 6 of them attend Mosaic, then it's not 90%+ done at the most wealthy schools. It is likely that at lower SES schools, so few kids are even approaching the cutoff scores for 6th grade Algebra that there's no reason to consider offering it. At the higher SES schools, some principals allow it. Others don't want to deal with the logistical mess, or they don't want to deal with badgering from parents, so they don't offer it. Every principal is the lord of his/her domain, and they can offer whatever they want. If your kid has the stats to qualify, and your principal doesn't offer 6th grade Algebra, then lean on that principal to do so. If a lower SES school doesn't offer acceleration, it's likely that no one has qualified in the past, and there has been minimal interest. The principal can change their mind if they see that a kid should qualify and wants to do it. There's no grand conspiracy against lower SES schools, as you seem to imagine.

[Anonymous]

I re-ran the SOL numbers from last year. There were 13 schools that were represented in the 6th grade SOL Algebra 1 scores, Mosaic was one of them. None of them had enough kids in the class to provide specific numbers. It is possible that there were 6 kids from Mosaic but that would mean there were only 2 from each other school, which I doubt is the break down but who knows.

The point is, not many schools allow kids to take Algebra 1 Honors in 6th grade and only a few take the class at that age. DS is at a MC/UMC school. It is a low FARMs school, under 10%, but the school does not allow Algebra 1 in 6th. He hit the marks but it wasn’t even discussed with us. I did ask about it at one point as an option because his iReadys are high, he has been perfect or near perfect on every math SOL, and he does very well in math competitions. His Teacher said that the school did not think that accelerating that much was in any child’s best interest. We didn’t push the point because we didn’t want him taking a class online or getting up super early to go to MS and then return to ES. We continue with math enrichment and use in school math as important review of fundamental concepts that he should know really well.

I would prefer that the Center schools were more advanced magnets for late ES and MS and their own schools. Set up one per pyramid or four in the county and run them like Advanced programs for kids who are 2 grades or more advanced in an area. They could have AAP type classes for every subject but then further acceleration for kids who are advanced in math, LA, science, and social studies. Maybe it is test into the program with subject material assessments given at the end of 3rd. Not the SOL because the SOL is grade level only. There is no way that this will happen because it would require redistricting and turning neighborhood schools into magnet programs. I am sure that there would be TJ style complaints about who would end up in the program.

[Anonymous]

^I can’t comment for last year, but in previous years, Mosaic has had 6-8 kids per year skip up in math.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:They aren't going to remove it, but make it nearly impossible to take in 7th grade at any middle school without AAP. That's how it will start.

Then they will remove it at the other middle schools because equity.

It is already nearly impossible to take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade without AAP or Advanced Math. Those are pretty much the only paths into 7th grade Algebra. I think the last time I looked at the SOL scores from last year it was rough 1,500 kids taking Algebra 1 H in 7th grade with the majority of kids taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

I will say that the gap between Gen Ed and Honors is huge. My friends kid wanted to move from Gen Ed into Honors for math and science as a sophomore because the Gen Ed class was not challenging and the kids did not take it seriously. This is a non-Academic kid so the fact that he saw the classes as a waste of time is telling. But the Honors classes seem to be out of his reach, he is really struggling in them. Probably because he is a kid not really interested in school and not willing to put in the extra time needed for honors math and science. So he is stuck in a weird place. A Gen Ed class where he realizes he isn’t learning much of anything and is bored or an honors class that is over his head.

I get why parents are pushing their kids into honors classes and I can see why that is a problem. I have no clue what the solution is because it sounds like the Gen Ed classes are more baseline warehouses for kids then actual places for kids to be learning.

Weird because at our low-farms wealthy ES kids are able to get ahead such that taking Algebra 1 in 6th is fairly common.

I ran last years SOL scores to figure out how many 6th graders took the Algebra 1 SOL, it showed 31 kids in FCPS. It did not show how many kids at a given school because no school had more than 10 kids in Algebra 1 as a 6th grader. I believe there were 8-9 schools who reported scores.

Your definition of fairly common is different than mine. My kids low FARMs school wouldn’t even consider that type of advancement. DC’s RSM instructor had them evaluated at RSM to move DC from pre-algebra to the algebra class. So no, it is not common for 6th graders to take Algebra in 6th grade and FCPS does not have a uniform policy to apply in this situation.

By common any average kid whose parents spend a few hundred on outside prep.

In FCPS, kids need a 145+ on the CogAT Q, a 575+ on the 4th grade math SOL, the recommendation of the teacher, and benchmark scores in some other test given after the other 3 conditions are met to qualify for 6th grade AAP math in 5th grade. Then, the kid still needs to meet the benchmark IAAT and 7th grade math SOL scores when in 5th grade to qualify for Algebra. It would neither be common nor particularly possible to take an average kid and prep them to that level.

One of my kids had all of that and then some but because we were at less affluent school it wasn't an option for them.

It isn't an affluent school vs. non-affluent school thing. Every principal can decide whether they want to allow kids to skip 5th grade AAP math if they meet the benchmarks. If your kid meets all of the criteria, but your principal doesn't allow kids to accelerate, then you're out of luck. At some affluent schools, the principals won't allow acceleration. At some middle of the road SES schools (like Mosaic), the principal will.

I know it isn't per se but the reality is these opportunities only exist at the UMC schools.

Mosaic is not an UMC school, but usually lets 5+ kids per year take this path. Several of the AAP feeder schools are even Title I.

Yes, there are one or two rare exceptions but 90%+ this is only done at the most wealthy schools.

Your math is off. If only 31 kids generally get to take Algebra I in 6th grade, and 6 of them attend Mosaic, then it's not 90%+ done at the most wealthy schools. It is likely that at lower SES schools, so few kids are even approaching the cutoff scores for 6th grade Algebra that there's no reason to consider offering it. At the higher SES schools, some principals allow it. Others don't want to deal with the logistical mess, or they don't want to deal with badgering from parents, so they don't offer it. Every principal is the lord of his/her domain, and they can offer whatever they want. If your kid has the stats to qualify, and your principal doesn't offer 6th grade Algebra, then lean on that principal to do so. If a lower SES school doesn't offer acceleration, it's likely that no one has qualified in the past, and there has been minimal interest. The principal can change their mind if they see that a kid should qualify and wants to do it. There's no grand conspiracy against lower SES schools, as you seem to imagine.

Exactly, it's because the Mosaic District is fancy these days. It's not the same as 20+ years ago.